Trends in Film, Video & Web

Well it happened again. I ran across another online discussion — this time on Hubspot, one of my very favorite SEO blogs and was dismayed to read the following:

“Gone are the days when you have to spend $10,000+ on a video by acquiring a crew, hiring a director, booking a studio, etc. Creating online video doesn’t have to be hard, nor does it have to look amateurish. If you follow these few basic steps, you can — quickly and easily — create a video yourself that shines…”

If you follow that line of thinking — it should be no problem using your own snapshots of the company executives in your next annual report, right? I mean, look at the great digital cameras that are available today. And iPhoto makes retouching so easy!

Here was my response to their blog:

Don’t ever forget that your brand is judged everyday by the quality of the messages and images you put in front of your audiences.

It may not be fair, but if your web site, printed materials or video look amateurish — that’s EXACTLLY the impression your prospects will now have about your organization. Amateurish. Unsophisticated. Unprofessional. Small. Not a major player.

You know you’ve thought the same thing about other companies’ sites when you’ve been online.

So, it’s true — the low cost of HD video cameras and laptop or even web based editing software is making video production much more accessible to everyone.

And, for video testimonials and simple short messages from executives — most companies can and should be able to create good video on their own.

But before you take on a video project with no outside professional help, remember some of the tough lessons companies had to learn back in the 90s when Desktop Publishing was all the rage.

I actually worked with a company that purchased Corel Draw and a color printer and told the RECEPTIONIST to learn how to use both so that they could “spice up” their proposals. Care to guess how that all worked out?

OK, so the point is this: just because you CAN layout a brochure — or point a video camera in the general direction of your CEO — doesn’t mean you SHOULD.

It sounds trite, but it’s true — you only get one chance to make a first impression.

It’s true, and I should know, because my stepson is a (virtual) card holding member of the “who needs a TV” generation. Anything he wants to watch he watches over the internet.  If he can’t watch it there, he’s pretty much not interested.  Amazing.  Especially to someone like me who was practically born glued to the tube.

This isn’t just a fad.  It’s the way of the future.  Is your company considering all aspects of its web presence?  Sure, you have a web site.  Do you offer video about your products or services?  Do you have a video or videos that you can make available to other online resources that cover your industry?  Have you considered sponsoring your own online video series for entertainment, information or both?

Here’s a quote from Brad Murphy, CRO of Revision3, an online television network, talking about the business of product placement opportunities on web-only “TV”series:

Now it’s hard for really big brands to get their heads around the value of web video series right now but several mid-size companies are starting to see how they can benefit from getting their product or service in front of their targeted demographic while making it part of the conversation.1timstreet.com, Digital Natives, Web Videos & Product Placement (Video) | 1TimStreet

It’s a whole new world out there!

This is a question production companies have to deal with every time they put together a quote or bid for a job. And it’s also a question we’re frequently asked by our clients.

The answer is … there is no single perfect answer.  It depends on the script or project, the needs of the client, the limitations or requirements of the shoot location(s), the overall budget and sometimes even the client’s ego (believe it or not)!

Sometimes all that’s needed is a camera person who is also experienced with recording audio — say, for a quick “talking head” interview — and maybe a producer and/or grip. Why does that work? Because there are very few variables. One location. One or two interviews. Not too much that can go wrong.
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